Artificial relationship
by Sanjin
Summary: Ino will have to find a boyfriend with royal blood or she would sent to Europe. The only person she's willing to give a try with is Naruto, but will the Artificial relationship fool her parents, or would Ino have to say goodbye to Konoha forever?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

To be left alone...

To be tossed aside...

Ino buries her face within the small cracks of her pillow, "Do I really have to...?"

Her father nods his head with a sour expression on his face, "We have no choice, unless you could find someone related to some type of royal blood-line...we'll have to send you to Europe."

"Europe..." The word bounces in her mind, "I don't want to go to Europe. I want to stay here...with my friends."

"We all have to grow up some time." said Inoichi, sighing as he places his hand on her shoulder. He soon gets up and walks out of her room, giving her some time.

Ino had scheduled a small reunion with all her friends at Ichiraku ramen bar. It's been a social gathering for all of them and she decided that perhaps, it'll be the best place to say her farewells.

* * *

"That's what he said..." Ino tells the group exactly what her father told her and the group hesitates to speak. Sakura bites her lips before talking, but it seems she made up her mind, "I know Sasuke and I are going out, but if you want...we could try and fool your parents that Sasuke and you are going out."

"No..." said Ino, "I appreciate it, but I don't want to get in the way with the two of you. Your relationship is going so well..." Ino pointed that out and Sakura couldn't say another word.

They all drank in silent, ate in silent and relaxed in silent. The only one who isn't there is Naruto, but he usually comes in late anyways.

"Is there no other way..." said Rock-Lee, "Is there no other way to have you with us?"

"I guess not."

"Why do you have to marry into royal blood anyways, doesn't any blood do?"

Ino shakes her head, "My family is special...not in a good way, some of us even consider it to be cursed. We give birth to remarkable shinobi's with great skill, but we cannot do it unless both parents are from a rich heritage. We can't have normal children, it's just not in the genes."

"So you can't have a child unless you find someone with royal blood?" asked Sasuke.

Ino bitterly nods her head, looking downwards at the wooden floor.

"I know someone who has royal blood." Sasuke said.

It catches everyone's attention and they gaze at Sasuke curiously. Sasuke notices his in the spotlight and it catches him off guard. He closes his eyes and speaks more about this mysterious royal blood.

"You might not like him, but considering your choices...he's probably the only one in Konoha besides me."

Ino looks at Sasuke seriously, "Tell me...who is it?"

"You're not going to like it...It's Naruto."

The whole group gasps, turning their attention to Ino who's staring down Sasuke hard, "You can't possibly think me and that goof are a perfect match?"

"I didn't say anything about a perfect match." Sasuke defended himself, "I'm just saying that if you're looking for a guy, he's probably the only one."

"I think you should take it." Sakura mentions, "Naruto might look like a goof, but he's really a reliable guy, even if you don't love him. You could probably convince him to try and fake it."

"Fake it?"

"Yea, you know, pretend he's your boyfriend."

Ino brows slightly cross, "Easy for you to say, it's not like you're he one who has to tell him that. You know how hard it's going to be to explain it to him?"

"Explain what?" speaking of the devil, there he is, standing there at the entrance of the ramen bar. Naruto puts his coat on the coat rack and sits down among the group who stare idly at him, "Explain what? C'mon, I want to know." said Naruto.

"NOTHING!" Ino quickly replies with a shaky smile on her face.

"Really? It can't be nothing, you're freaking blushing Ino so just tell me already. I caught you guys red handed."

"It's nothing I swear." Ino stands up and tries to escape but Naruto grabs her hand, "You're not leaving that easily." The feeling of his hands touching her's already creates a weird warm feeling in Ino's heart. She moves her hand away, but is holding it as well, as if she's actually thinking how it would be to hold hands as...couples.

She looks at everyone who's staring at her weirdly for blushing and wanting to escape. She couldn't handle the pressure and she dodges the gazes by disappearing outside the ramen bar.

Naruto looks puzzlingly at Sasuke who just shrugs his shoulders, "What was that all about?" asked Naruto and Sasuke repeats the same thing he said to Ino, "You're not going to like it..."

Ino is standing by herself, outside the ramen bar as the door opens, but only one person walks out. Naruto is still shocked from what he heard as he stares at Ino, this time, awkward as well, "So you need a boyfriend..."

"I might need one. I don't know, maybe Europe isn't such a bad place."

"You got to be kidding me, Europe is not for you Ino. You belong in Konoha."

It kind of made Ino happy to know Naruto's on her side with the whole 'leaving' thing.

"You really think so?"

"Hey, I'm just concerned for Europe. I don't know what they'll do if they have someone like you." The joke broke the weird wall they built between each other and they both start to laugh, "Yea, I might actually belong in Konoha after all, but are you really fine with having me as your fake girlfriend?"

"Yea, I'm fine with it. The real question is are you fine having me as a boyfriend?"

"Fake boyfriend." Ino corrected Naruto and Naruto just shakes it off, "Alright, fake boyfriend? Wait, what's so wrong with having me as a real boyfriend."

"C'mon Naruto, you can't possibly want me to explain it to you. We're different as night and day."

"Night and day is not so different...they both can be used in the same context, just like how you used it."

Ino begins to laugh, but Naruto's not laughing, "Wait, you can't be serious..." Ino looks at him.

"Yea, I'm serious!"

"Naruto..." Ino holds her breath, "I didn't know...you felt that way."

"Well, maybe I didn't before...but I don't know...I think it's just the idea that got me all pumped up and started giving me ideas, like what if...you know...what if we were actually boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Naruto..." Ino felt her heart beating fast, "You might be right, but how would you explain it to my father?"

"I'll find a way." Naruto simply said.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: How much...?

The room is silent...the sound of pure nothing.

Naruto stares idly at Inoichi, and he stares idly back, "So, Dad...?"

"Don't call me that." Inoichi snaps, "I'm not your father."

"Daddy-in-law?" Naruto shrugs his shoulder, unaffected by Inoichi's coldness. It might have to do with him being used to it his whole life, but Naruto needs this guy to like him, otherwise, what would he tell Ino? He could just imagine how it would go.

"_Your dad doesn't like me...but let's go out anyways, even though I know for a fact you value your fathers opinion. I could still care less."_

"_Naruto..."_

"_Yes...darling?"_

"_How deep do you want your grave to be?"_

The image of Ino holding a shovel behind her back brings shivers down Naruto's spine. Naruto couldn't handle it anymore. He stares into Inoichi's eyes and slams his hands on the table, "I love your daughter, so what will it be? What do I have to do?"

Inoichi doesn't even flinch, "How much..." he simply said.

"How much...?" Naruto repeated, putting his unreliable thinking process to work, "Like in yen...or?"

Inoichi shrugs his shoulders as if he didn't know the answer to that question, "You know Naruto...when I was your age and Ino's father asked me that question. It took time for me to figure it out, so what I want you to do is go out there and try and find what I'm talking about. If you could figure it out, then maybe you'll be a worthy suitor for Ino's chastity." Inoichi then pushes Naruto out the door while Naruto is trying to comprehend what this old man is rumbling about and that's when he remembers he said something about chastity.

"Wait, Dad, you don't really think we're going to have sex that quickly right?" Naruto said, standing outside the door. Inoichi sighs and said, "One, I'm not your father, two, I fell in love too you know. I know what you young people are up to and three..." He slams the door on Naruto's face and Naruto just stares at the brown wooden door. He then realizes something about Inoichi's advice when he said 'three'.

"DAD!" Naruto freaks out, bashing his hand on the door, "YOU FORGOT TO TELL ME WHAT'S THREE!"

* * *

The busy streets of Konoha. If Naruto needs to find something about the phrase 'how much' it would be here. His senses tell him so and since when were his senses ever wrong?!

Naruto laughs out loud and the crowd stares at him weirdly as they passed by, "What's wrong with that kid?" one of the children asked their mothers, "Don't look you'll catch his stupidity." The young woman said, shielding her sons eyes as they walk slowly away.

"At least it's not 'monster' anymore." Naruto told himself, marching to the nearest vendor. The vendor is selling some neat necklaces and as Naruto tries to pretend like he's an interested customer, he makes a little small chat with the salesman.

"These are some neat stuff you have here." said Naruto, observing the length of the necklace.

The vendor smiles, thinking he got Naruto by his bait, "Yep, their pretty high quality too at a cheap price. I'm selling them despite their ridiculous high value because I need the money to pay for my sons medical problems."

"Medical problems..." Naruto smiles, pretending to be convinced.

"Yes sir, I tried to keep him into those healthy stuff, but all he wants to do is become a ninja. When he found out he couldn't...he drove into a depression and gained a lot of weight."

Naruto kicks the stacks of necklaces on the floor and stares into the old mans eyes, "You know what." Naruto bitterly told him, "I hate people who swindle money from hard working people." The old man is just stunned over his broken necklaces. He couldn't even talk, "You better hope I don't catch you around here anymore...you here me...you're too old to be tricking people like that..."

He then walks off, but eventually forgetting what he was supposed to ask. He walks back to the old man like a child caught doing something bad, "Hey...can you help me out?"

The old man gazes at him in disbelief and Naruto tiptoes away, "Okay, fine, it's not like I wanted your help anyways...ya thief..."

Naruto walked all around town to find out about the phrase but all the responses was basically money. Could Inoichi really be willing to sell his daughter to the highest bidder?

Naruto wondered about all of this. If this were to be true. Then he has to find a way to out buy Ino from anyone. He doesn't want her to be bought by a creep. He could just imagine how it would go.

"_Ino...I finally have you all alone...you know what I want."_

"_Please...be gentle..."_

"_Mwahahahaha, I'm going to enjoy the fruits that never been touched, mwhaahaha!"_

"WHY IS SHE SO NICE TO OTHER PEOPLE IN MY IMAGINATION!" screams Naruto, rolling on the floor and ripping his hair off. When he was rolling all over town in agony. He notices a HELP WANTED sign on the window.

"Help wanted...? Oh, this must be one of those things Ten-Ten told me to look for once I get homeless!" said Naruto as he walks into the shop piled with fishes. There's fishes everywhere the eye could see and Naruto finds a guy roaming around in all the chaos.

"Hey, senpai, what's all this about?" Naruto gestures towards the mountain of fish and the guy laughs, "It's crazy. We've never progressed this quickly before and we might be able to tonight. Wait!" the guy notices something about Naruto, "You look like a shinobi?"

Naruto nods his head confidently, "That I am." he flexes his muscles, "That I am."

"Really?!" The guys does a fist bump and got pumped which made Naruto pumped. It was only a manner of seconds until their both jumping like crazy animals, "I can't believe we're going to have three ninja's to help us. We should be done in no time!"

"Eh?" Naruto blankly stares at the man as the voice of the two most annoying ninja's behind him appears.

"**Narutooooo!~~" **

"Oh my god!" Naruto slaps both of his hands on his face as bushy brows and bushy brows senior run gracefully at him, "You allowed these two into the work place? Are you mad?"

The guy felt like he committed a horrible crime, holding his clipboard over his face, "Why...did they do something wrong?"

"It's not that man..." Naruto stares at their creepy, smiles and shudders, "They never stop working..." Naruto whispers into the guys ears and then the guy just laughs, "Yea, isn't that a good thing."

"You don't get it...They'll work until your bankrupt. They don't even sleep. I'm outta here." Naruto sighs, but Rock-Lee snaps back before he could leave, "Now wait a second Naruto. We don't work here, we're doing this for free!"

"That's right Naruto." supported Gai, "We don't do this for money..." he twirls in a circle as the light slams right on him, "We...do it for the youth~"

The guy smacks his head with clipboard before Naruto could rip both their heads off, "Oh yea, that's right...you guys were volunteers and here I had you guys for pay of half a million yen."

_**Half a million...yen?!**_

"Did you just say half a million yen?!" Naruto screams, not noticing he's already holding the guy by his collar and lifting him in the air, "Yea, that's right..." The man said normally as if this kind of thing happens everyday.

"It's not easy though, so that's why we make the pay a lot higher than the rest of the other fish companies."

Naruto didn't even care about that part. He jumps unto a suit and grins with his hand saluting the guy, "Tell me where to start boss!"

The boss leads the three shinobi's to another room and the fishes were all piled up to huge pile. It made the mountain pile in the other room look like a slump, "What the hell!" Naruto gazes at the thing in disbelief, "Don't tell me that's how much we're supposed to do. You know what. I quit!" Naruto throws his company hat on the ground, but Gai picks it up, "You see that Lee...that's the sound of an old man."

… … … "You want to say that again...old man?" Naruto whispers dangerously as he walks up close to Gai's face. He snatches the hat away from him and the match is set. It's the dynamic duo vs the Hero of Konoha. Who will win in this _fishy _business? Will Naruto ever understand what How much...? means? Review if you think you know what How much means...and lets see if you're right!


End file.
